Copolymeric hydrogel-based immobilization of yeast cells for continuous biotransformation of fumaric acid in a microreactor

Menegatti, Tadej (author), Žnidaršič Plazl, Polona (author)

Although enzymatic microbioreactors have recently gained lots of attention, reports on the use of whole cells as biocatalysts in microreactors have been rather modest. In this work, an efficient microreactor with permeabilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells was developed and used for continuous biotransformation of fumaric into industrially relevant L-malic acid. The immobilization of yeast cells was achieved by entrapment in a porous structure of various hydrogels. Copolymers based on different ratios of sodium alginate (SA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used for hydrogel formation, while calcium chloride and boric or phenylboronic acid were tested as crosslinking agents for SA and PVA, respectively. The influence of hydrogel composition on physico-chemical properties of hydrogels prepared in the form of thin films was evaluated. Immobilization of permeabilized S. cerevisiae cells in the selected copolymeric hydrogel resulted in up to 72% retained fumarase activity. The continuous biotransformation process using two layers of hydrogels integrated into a two-plate microreactor revealed high space time yield of 2.86 g/(L·h) while no activity loss was recorded during 7 days of continuous operation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: microreactor, copolymeric hydrogel, immobilization, biotransformation, L-malic acid, whole-cell biocatalysis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, microbioreactor
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 12, art. 867
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-127084
• UDC: 66.098
• ISSN on article: 2072-666X
• DOI: 10.3390/mi10120867
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1538481859
• Publication date in RUL: 17.05.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Micromachines
• Shortened title: Micromachines
• Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
• ISSN: 2072-666X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523276825

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 10.12.2019

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mikroreaktorji, kopolimerni hidrogeli, imobilizacija, biotransformacije, L-jabolčna kislina, celična biokataliza, Saccharomyces cerevisiae